Jumpin’ Jehosephat!

Since today is Sunday I thought I’d put to rest the canard that gay folks hate God, or dislike Him, or abandon Him, or however you all put it, with some fine philosophical reasoning. Though early this AM, at about 5:30, I did a quick Internet search for “History of Gay Bar Raids” just to see if a book had been written on the subject, as to whether I should read one or write one. And lo, I find this little article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Lounge_raid

And why do I report this now, 17 months after the fact? Because on that date I was living in Mazatlan, Mexico, blissfully unaware until this very morning that there were still craven idiots raiding gay bars because they’re gay bars. And on the very anniversary of the most famous gay bar raid in history! And all I can say is Jumpin’ Jehosephat! What on earth was anyone thinking? And you all wonder why gay folks are miffed and peacefully have pride parades while you intimate and practice violence against us? What, are you all going to torture yourselves in a vain attempt to squash us? Was that the message of the date chosen? How utterly bizarre. Let my people go!

Now read this, and learn, and go to the links and learn more.

Rainbow Lounge raid

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Rainbow Lounge raid occurred in the early morning hours of June 28, 2009, at the Rainbow Lounge, a newly opened gay bar in Fort Worth, Texas.[1] The raid was carried out by members of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and the Fort Worth Police Department.[2] Several customers were arrested for public intoxication and one customer, Chad Gibson, received a severe head and brain injury while in custody. The police also claimed the customers made sexual advances and contact with them. Other customers were detained and later released without arrest.[3]

In response to this incident, several of the witnesses in the bar that evening, including Todd Camp, the artistic director of the local gay and lesbian film festival, began a grassroots awareness campaign with the launch of the informational Facebook page “Rainbow Lounge Raid.” Over the next several weeks, the page’s membership grew to nearly 15,000. Several local organizers planned a protest on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse the next afternoon. The Dallas-based LGBT rights group Queer Liberaction organized a candlelight vigil for the victim, a Milk Box event, and a later more formal protest.

It has been of particular interest to the media that the raid took place on the 40th anniversaryof the Stonewall Riots, a notable raid of a gay bar which prompted the modern gay rights movement.[2] The address of the club, 651 South Jennings Avenue, is a classic location of gay bars in Fort Worth.[4]

At the City of Fort Worth’s first council meeting since the Rainbow Lounge Raid, and after an attendee of the meeting called out for an apology, the Mayor apologized for the events at the Rainbow Lounge.[5] The next day after the apology was reported nationally and internationally, the Mayor said the apology was taken out of context and that he was referring to the injury not the actual raid.[6][dead link]

As a result of the raid, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission fired 3 individuals and disciplined two others.[7][8] The agency also completed some previously scheduled changes including increased cultural diversity training.[9]

A separate “Use of Force” investigation determined that two charges: (a) “that the Rainbow Lounge was targeted for being a gay bar”, and (b) that TABC officers “used force beyond what was necessary and reasonable”, were both unfounded.[10] However, TABC Administrator Alan Steen announced that “TABC’s five regional Educational Liaisons are being re-named Community Liaisons, and will be tasked with reaching out to diverse community groups including GLBT organizations as well as associations representing racial, ethnic and religious minorities.” [10] Steen also appointed TABC’s Director of Communications and Governmental Relations as the agency’s liaison to the GLBT community “in an effort to improve communication around the state.”[10]

END

And of course, there’s lot of references and external links, and citations and sources, for you all to find out more about this bizarre event. Emphasis is mine, for sure.

Learn all about how gay folks, taxpayers & citizens of the city of Fort Worth and State of Texas paid for our own oppression. For police state tactics. And you think you Tea Party folks got it rough? Ha!

But a gay bar raid in 2009! Jumpin’ Jehosephat!

Though the quick answer to my planned musings is no, gay folks do not hate God. It just seems that way because so many who profess to believe in God sure hate gay folks and part of their agenda of hate is to constantly bleat that we do. Which is, to put it charitably, more mush from the wimps.